The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-22

=" nat are you dlstrIDuClng tracts Tor nOWs
There are 8 900 men bleeding to death. Bind
up their wounds and then distribute the
tracts"
We want more common sense in Christian
work, taking the bread of this life in one
hand and the bread of the next life in the
other hand. No such inapt work as that done
by the Christian man who, during the last
war, went into a hospital with tracts, and,
coming to the bed of a man whose legs had
been amputated, gave him a tract on the sin
of dancing. rejoice before God that never
sympathetic words uttered, never
prayer offered, never Christian almsgiving
INDUCED in but it is blessed
There is place in Switzerland, / have been
told, where the utterance of one word will
bring back a score of echoes; and l have to
tell you this morning that a sympathetic
word, a kind word. generous word, help
full word uttered in the dark places of the
town will bring back 10000 echoes from all
the thrones OF heaven
Are there in this assemblage this morning
those who know by experience the tragedies
in the third watch of the night! / not
here to thrust you back with one hard word.
Take the bandage from your bruised soul and
put on il the soothing salve of Christs gospel
and of Gods compassion. Many have come.
l see others coming to God this morning,
tired of the sinful life. Cry up the news to
the banques under the arches Let the
crowned heads come down and sit at the jubi-
lee. I tell you there is more delight in
heaven over one man that gets reformed by
the grace Of God than over ninety and nine
that never got OFF the track
could give you the history, in a minute,
of one of the best friends 1 ever had Out
side Of my own family, never had better
friend He welcomed me to my home at the
west. He of splendid personal appear
ance, but he had ardor of soul and a
warmth of affection that made me love him
like a brother. 1 saw men coming out of the
saloons and gambling bells, and they sur
rounded my friend, and they took him at the
weak point, his social nature; and saw him
going down, and had a fair talk with him
for never yet saw a man you could not talk
with on the subject of his habits, IL you talked
with him in the right way. i said to him:
"Why don't you give up your bad habits and
become a Christiang" / remember now just
how he looked, leaning over his counter, as
he replied: II wish 4 could Oh, sir, should
like to be Christian. but 1 have gone far
astray can't get back"
So the time went on After awhile the day
of sickness came. i was summoned to his
| sick bed. I fastened. 1t took me but very
few moments to get there. 1 was surprised
| as ! went in. / saw him in his ordinary dress,
! fully dressed, lying ON top of the bed / gave
| him my hand, and he seized it convulsively
AMI said: ''Oh, how glad am to see you'll Sit
| down there" l sat down and he said: Mr..
| TalInage, just where you sit now my mother
| sat last night She has been dead twenty
| years Now don't want you to think 1 am
| out of my mind, or that 1 am superstitious;
| but, sir, she sat there last night just Ger
| tainly as you sit there now-the same cap and
apron and spectacles. 1t was my old mother
she sat there Then he turned to his wife,
and said: Il wish you would take these
strings OF the bed; somebody is wrapping
strings around me all the time; l wish you
| would stop that annoyance" She said:
| ssThere is nothing here" Then saw it was
| delirium.
| He said: "Just where you sit now my
mother sat, and she said: Roswell, Iwish you
would do better-I wish you would do better
| l said: Mother, l wish could do better; l
| try to do better, but 1 can't. Mother, you
used to help me; why can't you help me nowF
| And, sir, got out OF bed, for it was reality,
and went to her, and threw my arms around
her neck, and said: Mother, will do better,
| but you help; can't do this alone" knelt
down and prayed That night his soul went
to the Lord that made it.
Arrangements were made for the obsequies.
| The question was raised whether they should
| bring him to the church. Somebody said:
/ "You cannot bring such q dissolute man as
bring him In church; he stood by me when he
was alive, and will stand by him when he is
| dead. Bring him" AS stood in the pulpit
and saw them carrying the body I'D the aisle.
felt as IL could weep tears OF blood.
| On one side the pulpit sat his little child OF
| years, n sweet beautiful little girl, that
had seen him hug convulsively in his better
moments. He put on her all jewels, all dia-
/ monds, and gave her all pictures and toys,
and then he would go away, as If bounded by
an evil spirit, to his cups and the house of
shame-a fool to the correction of the stocks.
She looked up wonderingly. She knew not
what it all meant She was not old enough
to understand the sorrow of an orphan child.
On the other side the pulpit sat the men
| who had ruined him; they were the men who
| had poured the wormwood into the orphans
| cup; they were the men who had bound him
hand and foot. 1 knew them How did they
seem to feeli Did they weepl No. Did
| they say: "What pity that generous a
man should be destroyed" No. Did they
sigh repentingly over what they had done.
| No; they sat there, looking as vultures look
| at the carcass of a lamb whose heart they
have ripped out So they sat and looked at
the coffin lid, and told them the Judgment
| of God upon those who bad destroyed their
fellows DID they reform, / was told they
were in the places of iniquity that night after
| lTitilu WAS III OttF NODl y,
and they blasphemed and they drank OH
how merciless men are, especially after they
have destroyed you Do not look to men for
comfort or help. Look to God
But there Is a who will not reform.
He says: Il won't reform" Well, then,
how many acts are there in tragedy l be
heve five.
Act the first of the tragedy: A young man
starting of from home; parents and sisters
the hill Farewell kiss flung back. Ring the
bell and let the curtain fall
Act the second: The marriage altar. Full
organ Bright lights. Long white veil trail
ing through the aisle. Prayer and congratu
lation. and exclamation of How well she
looksl'
Act the third: a woman waiting for stag
gering steps Old garments stuck into the
broken window pane. Marks of hardship on
the face. The biting of the nails of bloodIess
fingers. Neglect, and cruelty, and despair
Ring the bell and let the curtain drop.
Act the fourth: Three graves in a darh
| place-grave of the child that died for lack OF
medicine, grave of the wife that died of g
broken heart, grave OF the man that died OF
dissipation. Oh. what a blasted heath will
three graves Plenty of weeds, but No
| flowers Ring the bell and let the curtain
| drop.
Act the fifth: A destroyed souls eternity
No light No music. No hope. August
coiling the serpents around the heart Black
ness OF darkness forever. But cannot lool
any longer. Woei woe! / close my eyes Il
this last act Of the tragedy. Quick Quick
Ring the bell and let the curtain drop. @Re
joice, U, young man, in thy youth, and le
thy heart rejoice in the days Of thy youth
but know thou that for all these things Go
viii bring you into Judgment" There is
way that seemeth right to a man, but tn.
end thereof Is death.